Princess Guard
by BG-57
Summary: Long delayed sequel to 'Death Penalty'. Vincent has freed Lucrecia but now seeks to prevent her from finding her son. He is in turn hunted by the Turks, whose newest rookie is a dark reflection of a long lost friend. Chapter 4 is up!
1. Gold Saucer

**Princess Guard**

A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction

By BG-57

Chapter 1

A light breeze blew in from the ocean. Moonlight bleached the sands of the beach a pure white. The rolling surf gently pounded rhythmically against the shore. Further inland the sands stretched, until it became a vast trackless desert. Looming far above the shimmering sands and a ramshackle assemblage of huts was what looked like a golden tree large enough to support the world itself. Gold Saucer started as a tall spire that branched out into several mushroom shaped domes, each of which housed a different theme park. Bright lights flashed and glittered on a roller coaster thrill ride while on a different dome chocobos streaked around a racetrack. A great crowd was packing the tiers of seats as they cheered the jockeys racing towards the finish line.

High above the bleachers in a boxed room sat an intense looking man in a black tuxedo. His dark hair and goatee was matched by his brown eyes that peered intently though a pair of binoculars. He chuckled softly as a jockey wearing a red jacket and straw hat pulled ahead of the pack riding on his jet black chocobo.

"C'mon Teioh," he rasped.

The black chocobo crossed a green laser beam strung through a curved white archway. A few seconds later the runners-up caught up to him. The crowd let out a great roar of excitement mixed with disappointment.

"Congratulations Mister President," said a dark hulking man standing by the door. He wore a deep blue suit that together with his shaven head and tinted sunglasses made him look like a bouncer.

"Don't humor me Rude," said Reeve tapping a hand on the armrest of the plush green sofa. Although he had been President of Shinra Incorporated for more than two years, the title didn't fit him. Maybe it never would.

"Sorry Sir," stated the big man carefully, tactfully avoiding any mention of the empty seat next to the President.

"There's still time before the auction," mused Reeve thoughtfully.

"Are you going to bid on anything?" asked Rude quietly.

"It depends on what Dio's offering," replied Reeve with a chuckle, "The man's a regular pack rat."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence again.

"Should I find out what's keeping her?" inquired Rude tentatively. Reeve smiled indulgently and waved a hand dismissively.

"Take Pandora with you," he ordered, "Maybe she'll listen then."

Rude nodded and left through the door into a long dim corridor. His footsteps echoed hollowly on the cold concrete floor. Eventually, he reached a door and emerged in a brightly lit room supported by glittering flared pillars. Pretty young girls stood behind a curved exchange counter as a big screen monitor broadcast an instant replay of the latest race. Several young people stood at the counter buying tickets. He brushed past them and passed through a metal door into the brisk night air. The neon light illuminated a steep staircase that led down past eight giant tubes, four on each side that led to other pavilions. Rude chose the one marked 'Event'.

A moving sidewalk carried him to a large open air amphitheater. It was semicircular with stone benches and it was already half filled with people milling about. The stage was dark and the crimson curtain was drawn but he could tell the people were excited about the auction. He saw a young woman anxiously scanning the crowd with her back to him. Rude paused just to admire her. She had a small delicate frame and shoulder length brown hair. Her suit was similar to his and she carried a black metallic staff that was resting against her shoulder.

"Pandora?" he asked softly. She turned and met his gaze with puzzled emerald eyes. They were set in a face which bore a frightening resemblance to a flower girl that he had briefly known in his long career as a member of the Turks. Now Pandora stood before him like the ghost of Aeris Gainsborough, doomed forever to haunt him. He became gradually aware from her crestfallen expression that she understood what he was thinking.

"We're going back to Midgar," he said gruffly, "Orders from the top."

"Mother's not here?" she asked, relieved to avoid the touchy subject. Rude merely jerked his head, indicating her to follow. As they walked down the corridor, Pandora pulled out a small PHS phone and put it to her ear.

"Reno come in," she stated, "Rude's taking me back home."

"_Shit!_," growled a voice over the crackle of static, "_Tell that Prima Donna to get her ass in gear!"_

"_Reno, show some respect!_," snapped a woman's voice on the line, "_Don't worry, we've got the crowd covered._"

"Thanks Elena," said Pandora cheerfully, "You're a lifesaver."

"_Just make it snappy Princess_," grumbled Reno.

"Sure thing!" she said as she closed the phone and returned it to her pocket.

By this point they had reached a door that led out onto an open platform. The wind whistled around them as a bleached white helicopter came for a landing. She nodded to Rude stepped inside. After they boarded the helicopter lifted off and made a beeline directly for the ocean. Pandora rested her chin on her folded arms as she peered down into the inky black waters far below. He watched her silently, daring not to break the mood.

"I'm sorry Rude," she said suddenly.

"What for?" he asked with a slight frown. She turned from the window and met his gaze fearfully.

"I'm sorry I can't be more like her," she confessed, "She was always so bright and cheerful." Rude sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Maybe, but she wouldn't have joined the Turks," he stated flatly, "That was one of Tseng's dreams."

"I know," said Pandora with a shy smile, "This was his gift for her."

She hefted the ebon metallic staff which held eight slots etched into the surface, four at either end. Inset into the slots were glowing orbs of materia in a wide array of colors. The staff looked like it had served as a barbell in a previous life.

"He was actually kind of sweet on her," added Rude, who quickly regretted the admission.

"Really?" she inquired, "I wish I could have met him."

"Yeah," replied Rude quietly.

They spent the rest of the trip in silence as they watched the restless ocean far below the helicopter. Eventually they spotted the bright lights of Junon. However, they veered away from it so all they saw from a distance looked like a brilliantly illuminated staircase. A few minutes later the city of Midgar loomed into view. The once mighty city was now but a shell of what it had once been. Although it still resembled a giant wheel with eight spokes, it was mostly plunged into darkness. The eight great furnaces of the mako reactors were now empty lifeless husks and the central tower was still missing the upper floors. Only the last change had been a present from one of the Planet's Weapons. Everything else was due to Shinra's failed attempt to create a floating city of Neo-Midgar. The city had crashed back to the ground, only saved at the last minute by the mercy of the Planet. Now the population had dropped to a fourth of what it had been and even Shinra had moved its headquarters to Junon.

The helicopter flew low over Sector 6 and came to a rest next to a small cottage next to several circular flowerbeds growing on terraces. It was a square grey building with a steep red roof with gables on it. A hexagonal tower stood behind it. As they climbed out they saw two soldiers in blue uniforms lounging on a bench by the front door drinking tea from dainty looking cups. Pandora had to hide her laughter behind a hand. Rude smirked faintly.

"I see Mrs. Gainsborough has been here," he commented idly. That had the desired effect: they immediately jumped to their feet and put their blue helmets on.

"Sorry Sir," said one of the soldiers, "Nothing to report."

"Very good," said Rude thoughtfully.

"Does Mother really need protection?" inquired Pandora faintly, "She doesn't have any enemies."

"It's the President's way of showing concern about her," he explained. At that moment the door swung open revealing a handsome middle aged woman with brown hair tied into a topknot. She wore a simple plain green dress with a white apron.

"You boys can return the saucers when you're done," she instructed the soldiers.

"Yes Ma'am," said the second soldier sheepishly.

Elmyra gasped faintly as she turned and saw Rude and Pandora standing there. She quickly ran over and pulled her into an embrace.

"Hi Mom," said Pandora tentatively. She still felt a little like an interloper in this kindly woman's heart; a clone like her could never really replace the real Aeris. Elmyra smiled up at Rude and wordlessly untied her topknot so hair cascaded down. Rude nervously scratched his neck and wished he hadn't once told her that she looked better that way.

"Mrs. Gainsborough…," he began.

"Save the speech until after tea," she said with growing exasperation. She gestured them to follow her back into the house. The central room was in the shape of a hexagon, with brick floors surrounding a small round table with a white tablecloth draped over it. Rude and Pandora exchanged a worried glance as they took seats at the table. Elmyra walked into a back alcove and rummaged in a cupboard and put several cups on a tray. She turned on the stove and placed a teakettle on it.

"Mrs. Gainsborough," began Rude again, "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Ready for what?" she asked with a smile.

"Remember the invitation that President Reeve sent you?" asked Pandora.

"Yes, but I'm not going," replied Elmyra pensively.

"I thought you always wanted to go to Gold Saucer," said Pandora with a frown.

"Oh I do," she explained as she took the whistling kettle off the burner, "But not as the guest of your beloved President." She poured out the hot water into the cups and brought the tray over to table, then set a teabag into each cup and offered the sugar bowl. Rude shook his head as Pandora took it and scooped three spoonfuls in the cup. As she stirred her tea, Elmyra laughed faintly.

"Such a sweet tooth my dear," she said, "Just like…."

They both looked at her expectantly as she blushed slightly.

"Like your sister," she said in a subdued tone. An awkward silence fell over the table as they sipped their drinks.

The auction was already in full swing when Reeve entered the Event Square. It sure beat pacing around in the hall outside, he thought. He made his way to a roped off section of the stadium, and found someone sitting in one of the reserved seats. She was dressed in a long flowing white cloak and what was visible of her face under the folds of the hood looked unnaturally pale. Reeve gestured for a lanky young man in a dark blue suit to come over. He had flame red hair and poisonous green eyes and his white shirt was open at the collar.

"What's up Boss?" he asked with a smirk.

"Reno, what's the meaning of this?" demanded Reeve angrily.

"I didn't seem like a good idea to tell her no," replied Reno scratching his chin.

"What do you mean?" asked Reeve, taken a little aback. He had never known Reno to be afraid of anything.

"I dunno," he replied looking uneasy, "Just a feeling."

"Fine," said Reeve sullenly, "I'll deal with this." He took the empty seat to the woman's right.

"Do forgive me," she said abruptly in a soft reasonable voice, "There was nowhere else to sit."

He could now see that under the hood she had golden brown hair. Something nagged at the back of his mind but he ignored it for the time being.

"They were reserved for a reason," said Reeve irritably.

"I don't think you're friend is coming," she countered.

"What?" he hissed, "How would you know?" Something was very wrong, but he couldn't quite articulate it.

"Shh," she warned, holding a pale finger to her lips, "The next item is up for bid."

They both turned their attention to the stage, where a huge muscle-bound man stood on the stage dressed only in a speedo. To call the manager of Gold Saucer eccentric would be an understatement. The curtains opened behind him as he described the item for bid in a deep baritone voice.

"Lot #25 is fully functional iron maiden," began Dio, "With 256 internal spikes."

The crowd admired the forbidding dark grey conical cabinet in the form of a woman. Two assistant pulled open the lower doors, revealing the array of spikes.

"This fine item graced the Pain Room of the Ghost Square Hotel for many years," he elaborated, "Shall we start the bidding at 25,000 Gil?"

Immediately a stern looking man close to the stage made a bid; Reeve recognized him as Goda, the leader of Wutai. He tried to avoid thinking about what he was going use it for. A businessman made a second bid, touching off a flurry of bidding. Finally when things calmed down and Dio banged a gavel on the podium.

"Sold for 100,000 Gil to Sir Goda," said Dio, "Our next item is a one of a kind item."

Behind him an aide brought out a small bundle and placed it on a stand. Dio pulled off the velvet cloth with a dramatic flourish.

"Ladies and Gentlemen: the Hand of Glory!" he exclaimed, "An object of legendary powers!"

Reeve gulped and he heard the woman take in a sharp breath. Before them on the stand stood an artificial arm forged out of golden metallic plates ending with vicious looking claws. What shocked Reeve was that until fairly recently it had been attached to an ex-Turk named Vincent Valentine.

"This unique item was manufactured as part of a warped experiment," continued Dio, "I propose to start bidding at 250,000 Gil."

The woman in white raised her hand. Reeve stared at her incredulously.

"Thank you Madam," said Dio noticing another hand, "260,000 Gil Sir?"

"Why would you want that?" asked Reeve.

"Sentimental attachment," she replied with a trace of amusement.

"I bid 500,000 Gil," he growled.

"Thank you Mister President," said Dio with a slight bow, "Any other bids?"

The woman chuckled and shook her head.

"Sold to President Reeve for 500,000 Gil," exclaimed Dio, banging the gavel again.

"Are you planning a trophy room?" inquired the woman impishly. Reeve just grimaced and did his best to ignore her.

"Lot #27 is the final item of the evening," said Dio as the lights dimmed around him, "But its well worth the wait." Behind him the curtains closed and the audience could hear the aides bustling backstage for a few moments. The crowd waited in breathless silence. Finally the curtains parted again, revealing an elongated object under a plush crimson cloth.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Dio. Despite himself, Reeve leaned forward in expectation.

"Please," whispered the woman in white.

"Behold!" bellowed Dio gesturing to the sky. Two aides pulled the cloth away, exposing an exquisitely forged long curved sword resting on two black lacquered blocks. It was longer than a man was tall and looked next to impossible to wield. Dio grinned fiercely as the crowd gasped collectively. He didn't say what it was, nor did he need to.

"My God," gulped Reeve, "That's Masamune!"

"What is that?" asked the woman in confusion.

"Where have you been, under a rock?" demanded Reeve irritably, "It's Sephiroth's sword!"

"Sephiroth?" gasped the woman in white as she put a hand to her forehead, "That belonged to him?"

"Shall we start the bidding at…," began Dio.

"One million Gil!" yelled Reeve feverishly.

"Er, thank you Mr. President," replied Dio, a bit taken aback, "Are there any other…."

"Three million Gil!" countered Goda almost angrily.

"Five million," said the woman coldly. Reeve turned and stared at her.

"Six million," retorted Goda flashing a defiant look at them.

"Ten million," said Reeve smugly.

"Uh…," murmured Dio quietly, "The bidding is currently at ten million Gil." The room fell silent. Goda slumped in his seat and folded his arms across his chest in defeat. Reeve chuckled and stole a glance at the woman next to him.

"One hundred million Gil," she said calmly. A buzz of excited chatter filled the auditorium. Dio stared at her as he hadn't quite heard her. A cold sweat broke across Reeve's face as he numbly rose to his feet.

"Mr. President?" inquired Reno with an uncharacteristic expression of concern. Reeve pushed him aside as he stormed up the aisle to the exit.

"Sold to the lucky lady for one hundred million Gil," said Dio as the gavel came down one more time.

Backstage two workmen wheeled the iron maiden down a long corridor. A woman with blond hair and a dark blue suit supervised.

"Don't drop it boys," she admonished them.

"Don't worry Miss Elena," said the older workman, "We aint dropped nothing yet."

"That's a double negative," she said with a faint sigh, "That means you have dropped things."

"Huh?" asked the younger one.

"Never mind," she said with a dismissive wave. She followed them to a large circular door. Slowly it opened with a smooth pneumatic hiss, revealed a large windowless vault. They wheeled the cart in and moved the iron maiden into the corner. Then they sealed the door shut again. In the darkness something stirred. A young girl dressed entirely in black scurried in the darkness using a red materia orb to faintly illuminate the boxes arrayed around the room. Finally she found a small box on a pedestal that interested her. She pried open the lid and saw a glowing blue materia orb nestled inside.

"Jackpot!" exclaimed Yuffie Kisaragi giddily. She then carefully removed the materia and placed it in a bag on her belt. Now she had to wait until the vault was open again and then make her getaway. After a few minutes the door slowly hissed open and fluorescent lights flickered on again. Yuffie hid behind the iron maiden.

"This is where I keep all of my valuables," explained Dio as he entered.

"Very impressive," said a woman dressed in white robes. Two workmen brought in a small bundle and a long bundle, both wrapped in beige cloth. Dio picked up the long bundle and handed it to her.

"One hundred million is an awful lot," he said quietly, "Are you sure about this Madam?"

"It's a bargain," she replied holding Masamune close. The iron maiden's doors opened with a noisy creak, making Yuffie gasp. A figure stepped out, dressed in black with a long crimson cape that hid the lower half of his face. He wore gold metal boots and had long raven hair. His right sleeve flapped emptily but his left hand held a silver pistol. Dio blinked in amazement.

"What the-," he stammered.

"Put down the sword Lucrecia," said the man with the gun. She turned to him and smiled indulgently.

"Hello Vincent."


	2. Costa del Sol

Chapter 2

Yuffie cursed her rotten luck. What started out as an easy job had turned into a nightmare. All the same, she was glad that Vincent was okay, although he looked moody as ever. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she climbed on top of the iron maiden and peered down at this mysterious woman that had such a power over him. To her disappointment, Lucrecia's face was hidden by the folds of the hooded cloak.

"Drat!" she hissed.

"This is an outrage!" bellowed Dio dramatically, "How dare you sneak in here like a common thief!"

Yuffie gulped guiltily and hid again.

"I'm not here to steal anything," stated Vincent dryly as he pointed the gun at Lucrecia, "But she must not leave with that sword."

"I've paid dearly for this," countered Lucrecia. He shook his head slowly.

"Forgive me," he admitted, "I wanted you to be free."

"I am free, thanks to you," she replied taking a step closer, "And I am now yours."

"Not as long as you belong to him," said Vincent sadly, "And he stands for nothing but destruction."

"As does your true self," she said placing a hand on his arm and gently pushing the pistol in his grip down.

"Chaos," whispered Vincent darkly. Already he could feel the darkness stirring in his blood; the faint yet always insistent voice of Jenova calling for vengeance.

"We can all have what we want," she said as reached out to touch his face, "Don't be afraid."

"No," he protested raising the pistol to her heart, "I have sworn to protect the Planet." As much as it pained him, he had to resist her. Lucrecia didn't look afraid, merely resigned.

"Pity," she sighed.

At that two small metal orbs landed between them and immediately gray acrid smoke poured out of the vents on the sides, rapidly filling the room.

"A smoke bomb!" coughed Dio. He felt a slight breeze as a blurry figure jumped over the iron maiden and brushed passed him. "Stop, thief!" he yelled after Yuffie; but she was long gone.

"I see we're not alone," observed Vincent turning back to Lucrecia who was also no longer there. He quickly ran out of the smoke-filled room down the corridor, and found himself face to face with Elena.

"Boss!" she gasped as she reached for her pistols.

"Get down," he said as he raised his gun. She only had a second to hit the floor as he peeled off a few shots at the vanishing figure at the far end of the corridor. Elena saw his golden pointed boots as he stepped over her and down the hall. She quickly sat up with a frown: first the ninja girl, then the ghost woman, and now this.

"Stop them!" yelped Dio appearing behind her.

"Yeah, but which one?" she wondered.

When Vincent reached the open air, his black chocobo was already waiting for him. Penumbra seemed to be able to sense whenever he needed her. He leapt up into the saddle and patted her neck.

"Good girl," he said. The ebon chocobo ran up the wall and over the roof of the pavilion; from there he scanned the horizon. He quickly spotted Lucrecia riding on her own mount toward the Chocobo Racing square. Penumbra quickly took off in pursuit and leapt off the pavilion to the racetrack below. There was a collective gasp from the crowd they made their way up the course, backwards. Teioh streaked past them, the jockey looking shocked. It was almost enough to make Vincent smile.

"_What the heck is this_?" shouted the announcer, "_Two intruders are on the racetrack_!"

Vincent snapped the reins awkwardly with the pistol in the grip of his only usable hand. Penumbra streaked up a crystal ramp suspended in a starry void filled with orbiting planets, then into a cave filled with pillars and giants oysters. Another flock of multicolored chocobos raced past, some having to jump into the grandstand to avoid a collision.

"Hey buddy, wrong way!" shouted one of the jockeys irritably.

It was only when he reached the checkerboard ramp spiraling down that he caught sight of her. Lucrecia was riding a snow white chocobo, which he only seen owned by jockeys or shopkeepers in Mideel. She was clutching Masamune close to her heart. When she glanced back and saw Vincent was gaining, she ran off the track up the stairs in the grandstand. He plunged ahead after her over the roof and out onto the edge of the giant pavilion. She was waiting for him, on the edge looking uncertainly out across the vast trackless desert that stretched out far below them. In the distance they could hear the crowd going berserk.

"Give up Lucrecia," he stated flatly, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Are you sure I can't change your mind?" she replied. He shook his head slowly and she gave a faint helpless smile that he had known from long ago. It was only when she was completely exasperated with him that she looked that way. She shrugged and snapped the reins and her chocobo leapt off the parapet. Vincent ran forward to stop her, but saw that her mount had spread its wings and was gliding gracefully down into the desert far below. His shoulders slumped; she had won for now. Vincent heard a faint squawk and felt a beak nuzzling his shoulder. He reached up and patted Penumbra's head.

"Don't worry, we'll catch her," he vowed.

Back in Midgar, Pandora nearly spilled her second cup of tea when her cell phone rang angrily. She flashed an apologetic glance to Elmyra and Rude as she flipped her phone open.

"Hello?" she inquired tentatively.

"_There you are Princess!_" barked Reno on the other end, "_Grab Rude and haul ass back to Gold Saucer!_"

"Why, what happened?" she wondered. Rude saw her troubled expression and stood up.

"Thanks for your hospitality Ma'am," he stated stiffly to Elmyra.

"_Lucrecia_ _and Vincent showed up at the auction,_" raved Reno, "_All hell is breaking loose!_"

"Vincent?" echoed Pandora eagerly, "Is he all right?"

"_Ask Elena when you get here,_" he snapped curtly, "_And hurry up!_" Pandora snapped the phone shut and turned to explain to Rude but saw he was already standing by the door.

"Tell me on the way," he intoned.

"Be safe dear," said Elmyra and she gave Pandora a kiss and hug.

"I will Mom," she promised and quickly headed out the door. Rude was about to follow when suddenly Elmyra took his hand and squeezed tightly.

"Please look after my daughter," she begged.

"I will," he said firmly. He would make sure that the fate that had befallen Aeris would not happen to Pandora. Elymra released his hand and smiled bravely up at him.

"A man of few words," she observed wryly, "But I will trust in them." Rude couldn't say anything to add to that so he turned and walked out into the night.

Reeve was pacing in Dio's vault impatiently.

"Please understand Mister President!" protested Dio, "That materia was unique!"

"Frankly your materia can go hang," stated Reeve coldly, "Shinra has bigger fish to fry."

"We know who stole it anyway," added Elena, "We can pressure Sir Goda to have his daughter return it."

"However, the sword was legitimately purchased!" whined the manager, "I am only upset over the disruption they caused to my business."

At that Reno strode in, followed by Rude and Pandora.

"Good, you're all here," began Reeve, "We have two separate incidents here."

"Speedo Boy got his materia swiped by Ninja Girl," explained Reno helpfully, "Then Scary Lady bought a sword and was chased by Gloomy Gus."

"Did you understand that?" asked Elena to Pandora, who giggled behind her hand.

"Sad to say I did," she replied. Reno shot her a miffed glance.

"Not just any sword," said Reeve darkly, "It was Masamune."

That caused a chill to fill the room. It could only mean one thing; that Lucrecia wanted to find Sephiroth.

"So what's our next move?" asked Elena. Reeve rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"What's her next move?" he mused, "That's the real question." They fell silent and then Pandora was struck by a thought.

"How did Vincent bring back Aeris?" she asked.

"Well, she was cloned," began Elena hesitantly, "Which was you…."

"But that was just her body," countered Pandora, "Her true essence was contained in the white materia."

"So you're saying Lucrecia plans to clone Sephiroth?" wondered Rude. She nodded.

"She'd need access to a lab and cell cultures," said Reeve, "Which only Shinra could provide."

"Who was the Shinra scientist that created my body?" wondered Pandora.

"Oswald," replied Rude, "Shall we pay him a visit?"

"Good place to start as any," instructed Reeve, "He's vacationing in Costa del Sol." He gave a brief nod and the Turks filed out of the room, followed by Dio. Elena paused at the door, hesitating. "What is it?" inquired Reeve.

"If Lucrecia and Vincent are both after him," she mused, "He'd better pray that we get to him first."

The sun was setting across the golden beaches of Costa del Sol, a favorite resort town for swimming and surfing. A series of whitewashed buildings with orange roofs formed a backdrop, while a footbridge led to the docks and helipad. Most of the sunbathers had gone in for the evening to the bars and restaurants, but a lone man sat on the beach, reading under a large umbrella. His blond hair was arrayed into long spikes that almost everyone he met felt they had to comment on, while his cobalt blue eyes almost glowed behind the sunglasses he wore. He was dressed in a black swimming trunks and a grey sweatshirt.

"Cloud, come on in: the water's fine!"

Cloud Strife looked up to see a woman with long brown hair and crimson eyes that registered amusement. She wore a white two piece swimsuit that accentuated her curves and long legs. Tifa Lockheart was his childhood friend and a staunch ally in his crusade to defeat Sephiroth. He guessed they could have been more than friends if fate hadn't intervened. Then Aeris came along. His failure to save her had breached a hole in his soul; and yet it was starting to heal, after he had been able to meet her briefly under the plunging wreckage of Neo-Midgar. Perhaps now he could open his heart to Tifa.

"I'll burn into a crisp in the sun," he explained softly, "Wait until nightfall."

"A moonlight swim sounds nice," said Tifa as she picked up a towel and dried with it. She then slumped into the chair next to him with a soft sigh. "Thanks," she added.

"For what?" he wondered as he set the book down.

"For suggesting a vacation here," she replied, "We definitely need one."

"Don't mention it," he said and found himself simply staring at Tifa's profile. It took her a moment to notice.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Sorry," he apologized hastily, "I was just thinking how good you look in a bathing suit." She blushed and pulled the towel around her shoulders.

"You dummy," she chided gently. They sat in silence together for a while and then Cloud felt a chill go up his spine. He half turned and saw a woman wearing a white cape making her way past the stalls and shop counters to a red tiled patio.

Lucrecia paused for a moment before going inside the inn. She had to be ready for the coming battle. The fools would try to stop her, as they did before. But she wanted him back; she had suffered long enough alone and cold. The bell on the double doors jingled merrily as she swung it open. Inside was a small parlor along with an elderly woman with wire rimmed glasses.

"Just one guest?" she inquired, "It'll be 200 Gil, dear." Lucrecia nodded and handed over the money. The innkeeper gave her a room key and she went down the hallway, ignoring the room she had just rented and went to the next one. Even through the shut door, she could make out the sound of a man's voice.

"You sound delusional Mister President!" he was saying, "That woman has been dead for more than a decade." He's more right than he knows she thought with amusement as she knocked lightly on the door. "Hold on a minute," she heard him say. The door swung open and she saw a man with silver hair and horn rimmed glasses wearing a white shirt and black slacks. Even on vacation the man looked dressed for work.

"Hello Alistair," she said pleasantly, "You haven't changed a bit." He stared at her in numb shock. The cell phone fell from his grip and clattered onto the wooden floor.

"_Oswald?_" shouted a tinny voice, "_Are you still there?_"

"Let me get straight to the point," she explained evenly, "What did you do with my son's cell culture?"

"Lucrecia…," he stammered, "But you're dead!" She smiled sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"His name was Sephiroth," said Lucrecia, "Where is he?" He glanced nervously up at the ceiling at the sound of a helicopter passing close overhead. She was running out of time. Oswald tried to back away but her grip on his shoulder was firm.

"I don't know!" he whined, "They were last stored in the Junon reactor, but that accursed Valentine blew it up!"

"Thank you Alistair," she said briskly as she released him, "Make sure to stay somewhere I can find you."

"Find me?" he gasped as he slumped to his knees, "Why?"

"I'll need your services again soon," she stated simply as she left through the door. She made her way back outside and walked down a back alley, where her white chocobo was waiting patiently. "We'll be a family again Paladin," she murmured to the giant bird.

"You're that woman from the cave!"

She turned to see Cloud standing there with a long cloth-wrapped bundle. Tifa was next to him, wearing a towel wrapped around her waist.

"You're friends of Vincent," said Lucrecia with an indulgent smile, "Did you see Sephiroth as well?"

"Sephiroth?" echoed Tifa in shock, "Well…."

"What are your intentions?" demanded Cloud coldly, clutching on the hilt of the bundled sword tightly. She merely closed her eyes and shook her head. This was going to be difficult.

"Cloud, wait!"

They turned to see a woman running up to them in a dark blue suit, followed by the rest of the Turks.

"Aeris," whispered Cloud.


	3. Junon

Chapter 3

That got Lucrecia's attention. She remembered a girl named Aeris who had helped her to free Vincent's soul from the dominion of Chaos.

"Aeris Gainsborough," she said silkily as she took Pandora's hand and squeezed it, "Thank you for your help, my Dear."

"I'm not Aeris," protested Pandora as she pulled her hand free, "I'm just a clone of her."

"But she was reborn in you," began Cloud. With surprising swiftness Pandora swung her Barbell staff at him; his Soldier reflexes gave him enough time to parry with his sword, but just barely.

"My name is Pandora!" she shrieked with uncharacteristic passion. Reno took a cautious step backwards. The other Turks had never seen her angry before.

"I don't understand," mused Cloud, wounded.

"I can't match this ideal that you have in your head," she sighed, "And I'm tired of trying."

"Cloud, let's leave her be," suggested Tifa putting a hand on his arm. He glanced at her then back to Pandora, his eyes full of confusion. He needed her to be Aeris so badly, to grant him forgiveness.

"Please Aeris…," he begged.

Pandora looked back in defiant fury and raised the Barbell to the sky. Waves began to crash around them and cherubs descended from the heavens, covering Reno and Rude with a saintly golden glow.

"Wow," said Rude looking contemplatively at his glowing hands.

"Great Gospel," breathed Tifa with a shake of her head; it was Aeris' final limit break.

"What the hell?" demanded Reno irritably.

"You're invincible for now," she explained, "Could you keep them busy for a while?"

"Why?" wondered Rude.

"I need to speak to Lucrecia alone," she explained.

"Suits me fine!" said Reno gleefully as he unsheathed his electroshock prod.

"Prepare yourself!" exclaimed Rude as he swung a fist at Tifa, who was nimbly able to block. She counterattacked with a punch followed by a kick, but he didn't even flinch from the blows.

"Are you toying with me?" she demanded. He merely straightened his misaligned sunglasses.

"It's an honor to fight you," he said with a hint of shyness.

Meanwhile Reno was wildly slashing at Cloud all the while laughing maniacally. The cloth had fallen away, revealing Cloud's Ultima Weapon, a glowing crystal blade with small crimson vents mounted on the black handle. Cloud tried to stab Reno, but the blade merely rebounded off him.

"Ha ha!" jeered Reno, "Better fight back or you're gonna hurt my feelings!"

"I don't have time to waste on a common thug," retorted Cloud coldly. Reno's eye began to twitch spastically.

"Say that again!" he snarled, slashing wildly with his weapon. Cloud nimbly sidestepped his thrust and stabbed, but as long as Reno was invulnerable, he couldn't defeat him, no matter how crazed his fighting was. It aggravated him all the more that this was just to keep him busy. In the corner of his eye he could make out Lucrecia holding out a hand and helping Pandora climb onto her white chocobo. Together they sped off into the night.

Paladin was making good time across the bay to the north of Costa del Sol. From there the chocobo headed west to a dry flat plain separated by the mainland from a narrow river. At the far end Lucrecia steered him into a large cavern. Inside the darkness was faintly lit by the warm glow of materia. Both the women dismounted and faced each other warily.

"So my Dear, is this private enough for you?" inquired Lucrecia sweetly. Pandora nodded lost in thought. She knew what she wanted to ask, but she didn't know how to express it.

"Thank you for helping Vincent," she said, bowing respectfully to her. Lucrecia reached out and lifted her by the chin using a pale finger.

"You love him, don't you?" she asked with amusement. Pandora blushed and turned away.

"He only thinks of you," she admitted, clutching the Barbell tightly in her grip.

"Unfortunately that sounds like him," stated Lucrecia sadly. Pandora felt a twinge in her heart.

"But do you love him?"

"I love him in my own way," she replied with a helpless shrug, "For Sephiroth's sake, I will be his."

"It's a mistake to bring him back!" begged Pandora, clutching her arm, "Sephiroth was driven mad and tried to destroy the Planet!"

"Lies!" snapped Lucrecia, pushing her away where she fell to the ground, "It was my accursed husband who poisoned his mind!"

"No, it was Jenova," whispered Pandora, looking up from the dirt, "Some kind of monstrous entity from beyond the stars."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, looking wounded, "I thought you wanted to help me!"

"This is my way of helping," she said as she stood up, "A clone of him would be just a hollow husk without a soul." It occurred to Lucrecia that Pandora was speaking as much of herself as of her son.

"So you are not the daughter of Professor Gast?" wondered Lucrecia.

"Not by flesh and blood," she said with a sigh, "But Elmyra wants me to be her daughter as well." Lucrecia pulled the hood of her cloak up and turned to face the saddle of Paladin. She stroked his flank with long unnatural nails. She was silent for so long that Pandora began to worry.

"I must see him again, whatever the cost," she said as she pulled herself into the saddle, "Forgive me for making an enemy out of you."

"At least spare him his memories!" pleaded Pandora as she grasped the reins. Lucrecia looked down at her longingly; this girl was the only one other than Vincent who truly understood the pain in her heart. But that wasn't enough; she had waited long enough.

"Goodbye my Dear," she said and snapped the reins. Paladin shot out of the cave and into the night. After she was out of sight Pandora flipped open her PHS phone.

Back in Costa del Sol, Reno felt a buzzing in his jacket and fended off Cloud's blows one handed as he answered the phone.

"Yeah, what is it Princess?" he drawled casually.

"_I'm sorry Reno_," said Pandora, "_But she got away._"

"Crap," he snarled, "Where are you?"

"_Just follow my homing signal, and pick me up on the way_," she replied.

"Yes, your Highness!" he snapped testily and hung up, "Yo Rude, let's go!"

"She okay?" wondered the big man and he backed away from Tifa.

"Yeah, yeah," groused Reno, "We'll have to take a rain check with these lovebirds."

"Wait!"

They all turned to see Reeve walk into the light of the back alley; followed by Elena, who was dragging Oswald behind by his collar.

"Sorry about their rough manners," he said to Cloud, "I don't want us working at cross purposes here."

"Then tell us what's going on," replied Cloud flatly, lowering his blade.

"Fine," he said simply, "Come with us to Junon."

"What's in Junon?" wondered Tifa.

"Sephiroth," he said with a grim smile, "Or what's left of him."

The rain slanted off a giant terraced city, in the shape of a staircase. Each metallic tier contained stores and barracks while a central tower dominated the skyline. Nearby was a small fishing village, looking sad and neglected. Junon, although ugly, had prospered as the fortunes of its sister city Midgar had waned. Standing in the shadows outside a nightclub Cid used a spent cigarette to light a new one. He had short cut dirty blond hair and sky blue eyes. He was wearing a dark blue jacket over olive green trousers along with a white aviator's scarf and leather gauntlets.

"Where the hell is he?" he muttered as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

"I'm here."

Cid flinched and turned around to see Vincent lurking in the shadows nearby. As usual he hadn't made a sound.

"Crap!" he cursed, "Can't you say 'hello' like a normal person?"

"We have to move quickly," intoned Vincent as he walked down the rain-swept street. Cid pulled up his collar and trotted off after him.

"I suppose it's pointless to ask why you called me here," he ventured.

"We have to find a submarine," stated Vincent.

"Ah shit, not more boats!" exclaimed Cid with a groan. The last submarine they'd been on had gotten blown out of the water, with them still on board.

"It's the only way to stop her," said Vincent as if that explained everything. Cid sighed and did the math. He recalled with shame the secret cargo that he had once hauled for Shinra: frozen cell cultures of Sephiroth, Aeris, and several others, including Vincent himself.

"So those damn cells in the Underwater Reactor aren't quite dead," he ventured, "I knew that junk was bad news."

"Jenova cells are resilient," he admitted, "I bear part of the burden for this." Cid nodded and flicked his spent cigarette into the gutter.

"So we blow it to hell before she gets to it," he chimed in. They passed into a massive overhanging archway and out of the rain into a long metallic corridor lit by harsh fluorescent lights. Cid flashed his security pass through a scanner on the wall and the elevator doors swung open. They boarded the car and were carried deep into the recesses of the earth.

"So can she really bring Sephiroth back?" Cid wondered aloud.

"All that matters is she thinks she can," replied Vincent evenly.

"So what did you ever see in that broad?" he commented crabbily. That was met with an icy silence.

Finally they emerged into a long staircase through another door and turned right. Down another flight of stairs they found themselves in corridor faintly illuminated by a faint green bulb on the wall. Beyond was a long underwater tunnel surrounded by dark ocean and fish. At the end was a sealed blast door with the rubble of an underwater mako reactor beyond. A new tunnel extension had been built that led to an underwater docking facility, but the docking berths were all vacant. Vincent shook his head and pulled out a glowing pink orb; Cid recognized it as the Underwater materia. He shrugged and ran his security pass through another scanner and they entered into an airlock. Vincent pulled out a long dark gray rifle with a cylindrical barrel and inserted the materia into the square stock. Cid pulled out a highly decorated long pole and attached a pointed blade to the tip. The green light on the airlock panel turned red and water began flooding the compartment. Even though he could breathe and even talk comfortably underwater with it equipped, the transition from air to water always made him nervous. Once the pressure had equalized the door slid open and they floated out into the inky waters of Junon harbor. Fortunately the light streaming out of the underwater tunnels provided some illumination. They drifted over to the darkened rubble of the Underwater Reactor. Debris had been scattered in all directions from the force of the explosion, but Vincent seemed to be able to sense where the cells were resting. He began clearing away a pile of scrap metal, exposing a dented cylinder connected to a series of hoses. Even in its damaged condition, they recognized it as their goal.

"That was too easy," mused Cid suspiciously. Vincent gave him an enigmatic glance and then nodded slowly.

"Yes it was," he replied, glancing behind them into waters of the open ocean. For a long time there was nothing but stillness. Slowly it dawned on Cid that all the fish were gone. It was then they felt a distant rumbling, like underwater thunder. Gradually an enormous figure lumbered into view. It had large swept wings made of segmented armor plates along with glowing blue and gold orbs in the round shoulders. A fiery red sphere glowed in the center of the chest, which tapered down to a narrow waist. Further down were two large claw-tipped feet covered by a conical skirt. The whole creature was tinted in emerald hues.

"I told Cloud we should have killed that thing when we had the chance," muttered Cid bitterly.

"His compassion was admirable," countered Vincent.

"Yeah, watch it stomp our compassionate asses into next week."

Suddenly, Emerald Weapon shot out multiple beams of energy out of its shoulder crystals that struck both of them, knocking them backwards. The force of the impact kicked up a lot of silt, clouding the water around them. Out of the murkiness four shots rang out shattering the shoulder orbs of the Emerald Weapon. It reared up, roaring as its torso became detached from its midsection. Then it hovered for a moment as the energy from the Aire Taire Storm cut a swath through the sea floor, disintegrating everything in sight.

Far above the battlefield a white helicopter was weaving its way through the turbulence of the downpour towards Junon. Reno expertly maneuvered the helicopter as Elena sat shotgun radioing directions to the control tower.

"Almost there kiddos," said Reno gritting his teeth.

"Shinra-7 requests clearing for landing on the northeast runway," intoned Elena.

"_Permission granted Shinra-7_," said the air traffic controller, "_Be careful_."

Behind them sat Reeve, with Pandora next to him. Across the way were Tifa and Cloud while Oswald sat on jumpseat in the corner and sulked. There was an awkward silence with only the rotor blades and the static of the radio for accompaniment. Finally Pandora looked over at the Shinra scientist.

"I don't blame you for what you did Mr. Oswald," she said faintly, "You were just doing your job." He looked up as if she had punched him.

"I have nothing to say to a failed experiment," he huffed. Cloud gently placed a hand on the hilt of Ultima Weapon.

"Try me then," he said with deadly calmness.

"It's alright Cloud," said Pandora hastily, "It doesn't bother me anymore."

"It bothers me," he replied, "We are not monsters as they would have us."

"Maybe not," she mused, "But we are not normal either." Cloud sighed and relaxed his hand.

"You are my friends," averred Reeve intently, "And that's all that matters."

"I hope so," added Tifa tentatively. Yet she worried for Reeve and what wield power in Shinra was doing to him. Pandora suddenly placed her face against the window.

"They're down there!" she exclaimed, "Near the reactor!"

Reeve looked over her shoulder to see a bright flash in the water.

"I'll recall the submarine fleet!" he shouted. Pandora shook her head.

"Not enough time," she muttered.

Underwater the silt cleared, reveling Vincent slumped onto one knee, while Cid was leaning on his Venus Gospel for support.

"Any ideas?" croaked Cid. He regretted not bringing the Knights of the Round with him; that could plow through almost anything.

"Help is coming," replied Vincent. They looked up to see a faint splash in the water as the tiny figure of Pandora swam down towards them. She positioned herself between them and the Emerald Weapon.

"Great Weapon, please calm your anger!" she pleaded, "The people of Earth hear your cries of anguish and will repent!"

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Cid, talking a step forward. Vincent holstered his gun and grasped Cid's shoulder.

"Let her speak," he instructed.

The gargantuan creature peered down at her with its burning gaze and reached out a long curved wing and picked her off the sea bed. She climbed onto its shoulder and embraced the neck guard below its face.

"Thank you," said Pandora, "Don't worry, the Earth will rest now." Emarld Weapon let out a roar and slowly turned around and then drifted back out to sea. Pandora floated to the ground and hugged Vincent.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.

"And I'm chopped liver," stated Cid with a smirk. She reached out and took his hand.

"You too Cid," she added. Vincent pulled himself free.

"The cell cultures," he stated. She stared back at him blankly. Cid looked over to where the cylinder had lain.

It was gone.


	4. Mount Nibel

Chapter 4

Reeve sat brooding in a chair, his fingers folded into a tent. The room around him was massive with a wall of glass that overlooked Junon and the ocean. The rest of the room was occupied by rows of computer terminals, but only half of them were manned by technicians. The Turks stood in a line in front of the desk, while Cloud and Tifa sat in a corner. Cid was staring out the window, while Vincent had naturally vanished again.

"Suggestions?" Reeve finally muttered.

"Lucrecia needs a power source," ventured Elena, "And lots of energy."

"Which means she needs a Mako reactor," mused Reeve, rubbing his chin.

"I thought they were all offline," said Cloud warily. He wasn't sure he could trust Shinra, even one run by his friend.

"They are, but they haven't all been dismantled. We should assume she has the means to cold start a reactor. This narrows our search to two places: Mount Corel and Nibelheim."

"So we should split up?" inquired Rude. Reeve nodded.

"You and Pandora go to Nibelheim; Elena and Reno will go to Mount Corel."

The Turks made to leave, but paused when Cloud stood up.

"What about us?"

"You can go with them if you promise not to interfere," replied Reeve magnanimously.

"How would you define that?" stated Tifa with an impish smirk.

"Our orders are to find Lucrecia and stop her by any means necessary," explained Reno sardonically, "If you try to stop us, we whack you."

"Nothing personal," added Rude.

"None taken," she giggled, but turned serious at Cloud's expression.

"I'll go with Rude and…Pandora," he instructed, "You and Cid go with Elena and Reno." Tifa nodded, unable to articulate her worry.

The lone helicopter made its way among the lofty peaks of the mountains of Nibelheim. In the wintertime, the cones were crowned with snow, which made quite a lovely sight. But for Cloud the mountains were only bitter ashen reminders of the destruction of his hometown at the hands of the madman, who he was once again fated to hunt down and destroy. Suddenly he felt a hand touching his; he looked up to see Pandora across from him, her face creased with concern.

"I-I know what this place means to you," she stammered.

"You do?" he wondered. She nodded and continued.

"When I held Holy and her spirit entered my body, she left a trace of herself in me."

"So Aeris is a part of you!" he exclaimed clenching her hand tightly in his, "Why do you deny it then?"

"Because it is cruel to give you hope that she can live in this world," she replied as she gently extricated her hand from his.

"Why can't she?" he wondered, wounded.

"Oh, Cloud," she sighed, "She loves you, but the Planet needs her more."

"I could never tell her," he stated morosely.

They lapse into an awkward silence. Rude looked over at Pandora, the sunglasses hopefully hiding his protective gaze. As if on cue she stole a glance at him and bravely smiled.

They passed over the small village of Nibelheim, the quaint cottages ringed around a central square and water tower. A winding path led up to an impressive mansion, and behind it snaked a mountain trail winding up the slopes of Mount Nibel itself; it was a dark and foreboding mass of spires connected by rickety footbridges. A slender metal tower sat precariously on the edge of a precipice with pipe tendrils piercing the rock. The familiar red diamond logo of Shinra on the side reflected the white light glowing from the mouth of a nearby cave. More ominously, the smokestack was venting steam again.

"They're here!" exclaimed Rude.

"Tell the others," ordered Cloud. Pandora lowered the rope ladder as Rude got on the radio. Cloud immediately began to slide down without waiting for the others. Pandora climbed down after him and ran after him to the metal staircase at the base of the tower.

"Cloud, don't go in alone," she cautioned.

"It is my destiny to fight him," he said as he drew out the Ultima Weapon.

"Lead the way then," huffed Rude as he caught up to them. Cloud slowly pushed the doors open as Pandora and Rude stood on either side. Inside was a long walkway over a glowing green abyss. Beyond several tiers of pods were bathed in a soft red glow of emergency light. Steps led up a central aisle to a large door at the top. Cloud bounded up the stairs and kicked in the door. Inside a dark room sat a large empty tube, the former repository of Jenova. Frantically he began tearing through the control consoles, looking for something, anything.

"He has to be here!" he exclaimed. Rude began to search, but Pandora walked slowly into the cracked tank and ran her hand against the back wall. She drove her Barbell and found the metal yielded easily. Beyond was a series of cables rigged to the back of the tank that ran into a narrow passage.

"Pandora, wait!"

She crawled through the tunnel easily as behind her Cloud had to chip away at the stone to widen it for himself. Pandora saw a green light ahead and stood up inside a cavern. Before her was a pedestal of rock perched over a glowing green pit far below. Surmounting it was a smaller version of the Jenova container; it was connected to the cables and Lucrecia was working at a console, the blue screen reflecting off her pale face. She didn't turn around as Pandora approached.

"Hello, my child," she said, "Are you going to stop me now?"

"I don't want to," admitted Pandora as she inserted materia into the slots on the Barbell.

"We all have our crosses to bear."

Lucrecia flicked a switch and an iris valve opened, revealing a small baby floating inside the brine.

"Kill me if you must, but spare my son," she pleaded.

"Oh no…," breathed Pandora as the rock wall exploded behind her; Cloud and Rude emerged from the rubble.

"Pandora, stand back!" yelled Rude.

"Just like me," she said as a tear traced down her cheek. Cloud approached her cautiously, eying Lucrecia suspiciously.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"Nothing," replied Lucrecia evenly, "Just bartering."

"Promise me you will not hurt the child," whispered Pandora. Cloud followed her gaze to the tank and his eyes narrowed.

"Sephiroth…."

"Cloud, you stupid moron don't-" began Rude.

Cloud leveled his sword and lunged at the tank. Pandora smoothly swung the Barbell across the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground. He looked up at her in horror.

"Aeris, why?"

"It would be like killing me," she answered coldly, "And don't call me that."

Lucrecia reached out and touched Cloud's shoulder.

"I'll surrender peacefully. Just give him a chance to live."

He lowered his sword slowly.

"A chance to live?"

Pandora put her hands together hopefully.

"What chance did he give us?"

Cloud slashed the struts at the base of the tank. Pandora screamed and clutched at a pipe on the side as it toppled over. Together they plunged over the side of the cliff. Cloud dropped the Ultima Weapon and grasped frantically at the Barbell, but she lost her grip on the handle and plummeted into the pit.

"Aeris!!!"

"Damn!" yelled Rude running to look over the edge.

Cloud collapsed onto the ground. Lucrecia slowly drew a scalpel from a drawer and held it aloft, but Rude turned and caught her wrist until she dropped it.

"Where does it go?"

"The Lifestream," she replied calmly, "We can do nothing but wait now."

"To hell with that!" he snarled as he pulled off his jacket and sunglasses and threw them into a heap on the ground.

"What if we're too late?" wondered Cloud. Rude stared down at him with intense black eyes and gave a shrug.

"I promised Elmyra," he said and dove off into the swirling mist far below.

Lucrecia stood next to Cloud and followed his gaze below.

"I tried to reason with you Cloud."

"You can't reason with Sephiroth."

"Well, I suppose it's up to that girl then," she sighed, "You can take me prisoner."

Cloud stood up.

"You won't try and escape?"

"It doesn't matter where I go," she replied, "He'll find me."

Pandora had expected the green water to be cold when she landed but it was quite warm. The tank was quite heavy and sunk fast but it didn't occur to her to let go. The phosphorescent water bathed everything in a warm glow, so she could see quite easily. Instinctively she knew she was in the Lifestream, it was like recognizing a long lost friend. Suddenly, not being able to breathe seemed like a minor problem. Pandora peered through the iris valve and saw the baby still inside, undisturbed.

"Pandora!"

She looked around frantically, looking for the source of the voice, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"Aeris, is that you?" she thought.

"Yes, my little sister. We are part of each other now."

"You could have taken my place. Why didn't you?"

"Poor Pandora, you already know why. You even told Cloud."

Pandora fell into a sullen silence, lost in self-loathing.

"Little sister, do you really want to save this child, knowing what he might become?"

"Yes big sister, I do. If I can change his fate, then I change my own."

"Very well."

The water around them began to glow brighter and brighter until it outshone the sun itself. Pandora felt a rush of bliss and then everything went black.

Back in Sector 6 Elmyra sat up in bed suddenly, a look of terror on her face. Panting heavily she went to a nightstand and splashed water on her face. The face in the mirror looked pale and haggard. It was then she noticed a reflection in the mirror of a man standing behind her.

"What do you want?" she demanded as she whirled around wielding a hairbrush threateningly. Vincent stared back her calmly.

"Sorry to intrude," he stated, "They've captured Lucrecia."

It took her a moment to process this.

"What happened to Pandora? You wouldn't be here unless something happened to her."

"There was a fight and she fell into the Lifestream," he said simply.

"In Nibelheim," she breathed. He looked at her curiously. "It seemed I saw it happen in my dream."

"Do you know where she is now?" he wondered.

"I have an idea," she said pulling a wrap around her shoulders, "Can you take me?"

"I'll wait outside."

Ten minutes later, she stepped out the front door, dressed and carrying Princess Guard on her shoulder, Aeris' best weapon. The guards on either side of the door lay unconscious on the ground. Vincent emerged from the shadow on Penumbra.

"It's just a sleep spell."

Elmyra climbed on the saddle on the black chocobo.

"Go to the North Crater, and hurry!"

Vincent snapped the reins and they took off into the night.


End file.
